Bruno beck



(No Model.)

B. BECK. AUTOMATIC AIR COMPRESSOR. No. 476,723. Patente-d June 7, 1892.

ATTEST:

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

BRUNO BECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PHILIP J. COOK, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,723, dated. June 7, 1892.

Application filed September 14, 1891. Serial No. 405,695. (No model.)

This invention relates to that class of automatic air-compressors in which a hydraulic piston within a suitable cylinder is operated by pressure from a water-main to compress t5 the air as above the piston for use in drawing beer, dac., and more especially to that type of air-compressors in which the piston of an upright cylinder is connected by a chain or other yielding connection to the valve mechanism 2o in the base, so as to automatically reverse the same as the weighted piston reaches its upper and lower position within the hydraulic cylinder.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and eective arrangement of the valve mechanism and valves whereby the automatic operation of the air-compressor is rendered certain and a liability to accidental derangement avoided. I attain such 3o objects by the construction and arrangement ot' parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of an automatic air-compressor embodying my present improvement; Fig. 2, a detail transverse section looking to the right; Fig. 3, a similar view looking to the lett.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the base of the apparatus, having water inlet and outlet necks 2 and 3 and made hollow to receive the operating mechanism of the water inlet andoutlet valves, its top portion having a vertical neck, on which joins the vertical hydraulic cylinder 4: by counterpart screwthreads, as shown, or any other usual means.

5 is a perforated diaphragm forming a strainer for the water as well as a guide for 5o the vertical sliding valve-rod 6, that connects with the weighted piston 7 by means of a shackle 8 and chain or other flexible connection I). The weighted piston will be provided with the usual hydraulic cup-packing 10 and weighted by a heavy cylindrical weight, as 55 shown.

The upper end of the hydraulic cylinder is closed by a cap 11, having a suitable air-outlet neck 12, having a check-valve 13 of any usual construction to prevent a retrograde 6o movement of the air back through outletneck, and also an air-inlet valve 14 of any usual construction, but preferably an elastic valve-head mounted on a pivoted lever 15, that is balanced by a counter-weight 16, so that the valve will open and close in a ready and quick manner responsive to a slight relative variation of pressure on its upper and lower sides.

The valve mechanism consists of a longitudinal valve-stem 17, arranged horizontally and carrying a valve-head 1S, that has its seat on the inner end ot' -the water-inlet passage or neck 2, the other end of the valve-stem being formed with a quick-pitch screw-thread 19, that screws into a socket on the base 1, the construction being suoli that a partial rotation of the valve-stem will cause it to move longitudinally to open or close the water-inlet passage, as the case may be.

2O is an overbalance-weight, the arm of which is keyed to the valve-stem 17, so that said weight will be supported in an approximately vertical position slightly to the left of a vertical line drawn through its pivot-axis, as shown in Fig. 3, when the valve 18 is in its open condition, so that the tendency of such weight will be to hold said valve open, and when tilted to the right to pass said vertical line said weight will act by gravitation to rotate the valve-stem to cause the same to unscrew and fully close said valve, the initial movement being imparted to said weight by the valve-rod 6, the movement of which is responsive to the final upward movement ofthe weighted piston 7 through flexible connections S 9.

In the construction shown the lower end of the valve-rod is of a forked formation, the vertical elongatcd slot 21 thus formed embracing the stem 17, so as to be guided thereby, with its extreme lower en d formed with a laterally- IOO 2 @avec elongated slot 22, that engages a pin or stud 23, Xedly attached to the angle of a bellcrank lever 24, pivoted at 25 to the base l, with its free end 2G adapted to engage against thc overbalance-weight 2O to move or operate the same over the vertical line above mentioned in the movement of closing the waterinlet valve. The corresponding movement of opening the inlet valve is effected by the weight of the weighted piston 7 forcing the valve-rod 6 in a downward direction, which through the instrumentality of the bellcrank lever 2l and its pin or stud 23 engaging the extension arm 27 of the co'unterbalance-weight 16, acts to return the overbalanceweight 2O back to the position heretofore describedi. e., to a position a little to the left of a vertical line drawn through its pivotal axis-and cause an opening of the water-inlet valve.

The water-outlet valve consists of a valvehead 23, carried by an arm 29 on the valvestem 17 and' having a seat on a laterally-arranged port or passage 30, that constitutes an extension of the water outlet, neck, or passage 3, this valve-head being so arranged with relation to the inlet-valve head 18 that when one is closed the other will be open, and vice versa. This water-outlet valve is preferably provided with an overbalance-weight 3l, arranged in a manner similar to the weight 20, as illustrated in Figs. l and 3. It may in some instances be dispensed with and reliance placed on the single weight 2O without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The inlet-valve 1S being open, the outlet-valve 28 closed, and the weighted piston 7 nearing the end of its upward stroke, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, as such stroke nears completion it first takes the slack out of the flexible connection 9 and then draws the vertical valve-rod G upward, and through the instrumentality of the pin or stud 23, bell-crank 2l, and its movable end or toe 26 tilts the overbalance-weight 2O (and with it the auxiliary overbalance-weight 31) past the vertical pivot-axis, so that it will descend by gravity and in its pivotal descent rotate the valve-stem, so as to close the inlet-valve 18 and at the same time open the outlet-valve 28. \Vith this reversal of the inlet and outlet valves the water is forced out by the descent of the weighted piston, which as it nears its final downward movement comes in contact with the upper end of the valve-rod G and forces the same downward, and through the instrumentality of the pin or stud 23 of the bell-crank lever 24, acting against the extension-arm 27 of the overbalance-weight 20, lifts said weight, and with it the auxiliary weight 3l, back to its original position-z'. e., a little to the left of a vertical line passing through the pivot-axis. In its pivotal upward movement the weight 2O reverses the i valves 18 and 28 to their original condition-n z'. e., the inlet-valve 18 open and the outletvalve 2S closed. These alternate actions of the valves and valve mechanisms are continuous and automatic, while the water-press ure supply is on the apparatus.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an automatic aircompressor, the coinbination, with the vertical cylinder and its weighted piston, of the valve-rod G, a flexible connection between the piston and the valverod, the bell-crank lever 2l, connected tothe valve-rod and having an arm 2G, adapted to operate the overbalance-weight, the valve-stem 17, having movement in a longitudinal direction by means of the screw formation 19 and providedV with an overbalance-weight l0, and an outlet-valve head 2S, controlling the outletpassage 30, substantially as'herein described.

2. In an automatic air-compressor, the combination, with the vertical cylinder and the weighted piston, ot' the valve-rod 6, a flexible connection between the piston and the valverod, the bell-crank lever 24:, connected to the valve-rod and having apin or stud 23, adapted to operate the overbalance-weight, the valvestem 17, having movement in a longitudinal direction by means of the screw formation 19 and provided with an overbalance-weight 20, and an outletvalve head 2S, controlling the outlet-passage 30, substantially as herein described.

3. Inan automatic aircompressor, the combination, with the vertical cylinder and its weighted piston, of the valve-rod 6, a iiexible connection between the piston and the valverod, the bell-crank lever 2e, connected to the valve-rod and having an arm 2G and a pin or stud 23, adapted to operate the overbalanceweight, the valve-stem 17, having movement in a longitudinal direction by means of the screw formation 19 and provided with an overbalance-weight 20, and an outlet-valve head 2S, controlling the outlet-passage 30, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRUNO BECK. lVitnesses:

ROBERT BURNS, Guo. H. ARTHUR.

IIO 

